As customary every year, the EOC Scientific Report will provide an overview of the published scientific work and the ongoing research activities carried out at EOC. This year a new reporting format was chosen, which we hope will provide a better clarity and a more structured account of the effort of our research teams.
The first part provides a brief description of the main research lines pursued by EOC Institutes and Departments in 2018 to convey the effort and value of their research activities and to highlight that many of the EOC staff not only provide first-rate patient care, but also perform high quality clinical and translational research. Indeed, research is becoming a fundamental part of the activities of health professionals within EOC, contributing to improve the quality of patient care, following the principle of the best scientific evidence, and to promote innovation and progress in the medical-health field.
The second part of the report presents the overall EOC research output in terms of peer-reviewed publications listed in PubMed/MEDLINE database, including analyses on number and type of publications, the journal impact factor and quartiles. The high level of achievement in scientific productivity is documented quantitatively (373 peer-reviewed articles, of which 302 as original or review articles) and qualitatively (almost 50% on the highest ranked journals). Furthermore, the level of scientific collaboration (local, national or international) and the contribution of EOC researchers (as first or last author) are evaluated and further demonstrate the high quality of the EOC scientific production in 2018.
The third part shows the overall analysis of the citation h-index of the EOC academic staff (professors and associate professors) for the previous 5 years (2014-2018) and 10 years (2009-2018), evaluated using the Web of Science platform. The h-index provides the citation frequency of the EOC publications. The median 2018 EOC 5-years h-index is 7, whereas the median EOC 10-years h-index is 11.
Overall, throughout 2018, the EOC Institutes and Departments, including the research laboratories, produced high-quality research attaining broad recognition at national and international level. Together with patient care and education, research is an integral part of our organization. Bringing research closer to practice helps to facilitate ongoing studies and monitoring of the relative effectiveness of clinical interventions and care processes, to guarantee the quality and safety of services provided to our patients and to ensure that our patients benefit from innovative diagnostic methods and therapies.
Furthermore, the steady growth in quantity and quality of research activities at EOC is fundamental for the upcoming Medical Master School of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI). This is in line with the 2018-2021 EOC strategic plan for a Cantonal hospital of national and academic value.
Editorial Board
of the EOC Scientific Report